[Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts

River Woman riverwoman at zoominternet.net
Mon Oct 4 13:24:39 UTC 2010 

Audrey, what a wealth of good information here. Yes, indeed, I have had 
people ask to photograph my necklaces "for a pattern that I can make" 
myself.  I said NO, I do not permit photographs. But if they have a phone 
with them you never know what they ARE photographing.

Doing craft shows is a tough business and there are a zillion other ways to 
make money that are much less stressful.  But, I still have the little girl 
inside of me that finds doing the shows "fun" even when things are not going 
well, which can be often.  It is gruelling work, and you get a lot of nasty 
people, not to mention idiots who allow their kids to rummage through your 
stuff - or brin sloppy food into your booth, that is when I get nasty and 
chase them off. I will hear mothers say to their daughters, "Look honey, you 
can go home and make this, too."  Yeah, right on girlie!!!  And, how about 
the ladies or couples pushing baby strollers who stop in FRONT of your booth 
to have long conversations with other parents with kids and strollers???? 
And, two things I absolutely avoid is having my space anywhere near a food 
vendor or a bathroom. If you want to be completely invisible just try doing 
business in those places. Yikes!
Lynda Lambert
River Road Studio, Since 1976
www.lyndalambert.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "AUDREY WELLNER" <rencraft at snet.net>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 1:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts


Eleni and all other Krafters Korner non members,
I have read through everyone's answers to your "Starting a Business in 
Crafts" idea and I am simply amazed at all the wonderful answers and advice 
our members provided you.
First of all, from myself I want to thank everyone that answered this 
inquiry and kept the subject heading under the correct category because I'm 
sure that this thread will be used for reference frequently in the future.
There are a few things I'd like to add to this subject. Again, I'd like to 
remind everyone this is why Krafters Korner was started by Joyce Kane, our 
President. You have the beginnings, right here of a wonderfully unique 
niche. We started this group out by asking for a small amount in membership 
dues to partake in this wealth of knowledge and learning. You have your own 
special audience of consumers and teachers - right here! You don't need to 
leave your homes to make this group grow and expand into a very viable 
business, providing for each other those ideas and items you can't find any 
where else.
To all of those who listen in and gather free information from this list 
serve and do not contributedues to becoming a member - you have only one 
thing to loose -- the fact that Krafters Korner will not grow in strength 
and numbers in paid membership in order to be able to someday afford to pay 
for all the volunteer time your fellow crafters have been giving you from 
the goodness of their heart.
We would like to see this list grow to pay our teachers a salary, give our 
wanna-be crafters a unique web place to advertise and sell their specially 
crafted items and gather
together to learn from each other all the nuances in selling to the public.
Honestly, the only person you hurt by not paying in a $10 a year fee is 
yourself. Krafters Korner will not grow to achieve these goals unless you 
support the group. We have not received any funding or outside help to get 
this division to this point, but it could be so much more if that's your 
goal and desire. In three short years, we have gone from an idea to reaching 
and teaching people worldwide, to developing our own website, 
teleconferencing unique craft classes, to a on-line chat and the 
companionship and comraderie of a large group of caring, like-minded 
crafters.
I, like Joyce have been in all aspect of the crafting business and going 
public is a daunting task. Not impossible, but challenging as each one of 
our experienced members has expressed in one form or the other. The creative 
fun side of crafting becomes a small percent of your craft when you turn it 
into a business. You then spend more time jumping through all the hoops of 
accounting, inventory, books, licenses, taxes, etc that I won't take time to 
repeat here again.
One story I have for you - This happened in two high end shows I 
participated in. Back in the 80's I brokered quilts for Appalachian people I 
personally knew along with my own crafts. At a show in one of the mansions 
on the Hudson River I had a buyer from one of the top New York stores 
approach me and ask what my inventory stock was like. She coyly wondered if 
I could supply them with about 500 quilts a week for some unforeseen length 
of time. I was caught totally off guard and said I'd have to let her know. 
After I said this she cut off all dialog and stepped to one side to talk to 
her friend. Then she took out a camera and proceeded taking photos of 
everything in the booth. No matter how much I stepped in front of things and 
even asked her to stop it made no difference at all. In another show in 
Farmington CT on the polo grounds I watched someone do this to a fellow 
crafters booth next to me. Well the result of my little story is the very 
next
 year, both our items showed up in Sam's Clubs and discount stores made by 
over seas manufacturers. The "Bed in a Bag" item undercut the poor 
Appalachian women's products, who were working to get extra money for 
medication right out of business.
As Lynda stated in her email, you need to hold your crafted items at a 
higher standard because you have a captive buying audience and their 
appreciation of your unique skills. But don't think for one minute that this 
audience can not discern when you have put something together from a cheap 
imported kit. They want to see YOUR design. Forgive me, even the crudeness 
of it, because then we know YOU actually made it, not something someone else 
cut, designed and put in a bag for you to assemble.
My other story is - I struggled lugged, carried, and drove to many craft 
shows before I learned that teaching crafts in a night school environment 
and making my OWN DESIGNS up in my own class kits, was a far better scenario 
than trying to compete in a public craft show that some promoter who doesn't 
care how many other vendors of the same type of craft he has pitted you 
against, was the way to go.
Which leads me once again to the fact that you have a marvelous opportunity 
here at Krafters Korner to get your feet wet by teaching a class on line to 
your fellow craftsmen. If you start receiving repeat requests for more 
classes, than you know there are people out there looking for the knowledge 
you have to offer. This then provides you with the confidence you need to 
have to know you can go out and teach that class in public and earn some 
extra money. It also gives you the confidence that if you can clearly 
articulate your teaching skills over a teleconference call, than you 
certainly can do it in a class room environment for the public.
Please, when you have an idea that you want to teach, make sure if you are 
going to offer the design in a kit form that it is one that you have thought 
up and designed yourself. Please do not undercut your fellow crafters with 
imported manufactured kits. This is not fair and we as a group will loose 
credibility in many ways.
In answer to Lynda's remark - "do not return to the same show year after 
year" because it spells disaster. I for see this being a matter of your 
client getting used to the idea that you'll always be available at that 
particular show, so there is no demand to purchase that item before it's 
never there again scenario. Unless, you have that unusal item, priced just 
right (like the tavern puzzle that did so well for years) your product is 
not on the "I have to get it or I won't find it again list". And one last 
remark - If I only had a nickle for every time I heard someone pass by my 
booth and say, "Oh, I can do that at home or I know someone who makes 
these".
Again, folks - You have the start of a most unique captive audience wanting 
and needing what you can provide - build on it, don't let it go! Support it, 
work together to help it grow. Champion your ideas and run with them right 
here. Make your presence known at convention time. Put your foot forward and 
HELP. You don't need to pay for transportation to a show, you can do it 
right here from your home, in your PJ's in the middle of the night.
Please keep your crafts high end. Enjoy your little kit crafts as 
entertainment fun nights amongst the group and for yourself, but make sure 
they don't interfere with helping yourselves to make this a viable 
entrepreneurial business division with growth potential for every crafter.
Go Krafters Korner!
Audrey J. Wellner, Secretary
Krafters Korner division
PS You've now heard your infomercial for the day! Also, please do treat your 
private drivers with respect and give them what they expend in gas and time. 
They don't run on public transportation subsidies. If you want them to be 
available for your private transportation, then make sure you cover their 
costs or you'll have the government take over another item in your life.


--- On Sun, 10/3/10, Eleni Vamvakari <magkisa83 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Eleni Vamvakari <magkisa83 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sunday, October 3, 2010, 11:41 AM


Thanks for the advice and perspective. I was actually warned against
craft shows and the like due to their extreme costs. It would be far
easier to simply sell things online. But what about large flee
markets? I know there's a very big one here in NJ in English Town. I
don't think that it costs that much to rent a table/space. Would
something like that work or is it still not worth the hassle?

Thanks,
Eleni

On 10/3/10, Eileen Scrivani <etscrivani at verizon.net> wrote:
> I agree with the quality issue. I like good stuff, not cheaply made with
> infirior materials or poor workmanship. However, from my experience people
> that go to a lot of these craft type shows look at it more as a day's 
> outing
> for them & the family. A lot of people will look and say how pretty I
> really like it, but when they hear or see the price will walk away. At a
> lot of the craft shows, people will do a lot of window shopping, then go 
> to
> the food tent and spend money eating but not buying the hand made goods. I
> think the basic way of viewing hand made crafts is strictly by price. They
> thing they can go to the local Fileen's Basement, Marshal's or T.J. Max
> stores and get similarly made things at half the price. While half the
> price is correct, they won't find the same quality workmans ship & 
> materials
> is put into the mass-produced items.
>
> Just entering a crafts show is expensive now a days and when you figure in
> all the stuff you then need for displaying your goods, the costs of your
> materials & time when you don't sell the stuff its a huge financial loss
> when your not selling cheap junk.
>
> Eileen
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Eleni Vamvakari" <magkisa83 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 11:11 AM
> To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
>
>> I wouldn't expect to sell anything but the best. *smile* I too am a
>> perfectionist when it comes to things like this, so I know that
>> something of inferior quality simply won't make it.
>>
>> On 10/3/10, River Woman <riverwoman at zoominternet.net> wrote:
>>> The items we make to sell have to be exquisite and perfect. It has to
>>> look
>>> wonderful and be made of the best materials possible. Shabby does not 
>>> get
>>> it, nor does mistakes and sloppy work. The crafsmanship has to be spot 
>>> on
>>>
>>> if
>>> you want to see it to customers who are discerning.
>>> Lynda Lambert
>>> River Road Studio, Since 1976
>>> www.lyndalambert.com
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "NCBootman" <ncbootman at gmail.com>
>>> To: "List for blind crafters and artists"
>>> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 9:51 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
>>>
>>>
>>>> Eleni,
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for understanding my intention to get you thinking.
>>>>
>>>> The reason I was willing to post to the list is that a question for any
>>>> crafter is what are we going to do with our treasures! Otherwise, we
>>>> soon
>>>> live in a warehouse that just gets more crowded. But, we have to think
>>>> about selling and business and all of that. There's just so much to
>>>> think
>>>> about.
>>>>
>>>> Greg
>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>> From: "Eleni Vamvakari" <magkisa83 at gmail.com>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 7:59 PM
>>>> To: "List for blind crafters and artists"
>>>> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Greg,
>>>>>
>>>>> I know that my family is willing to help me as far as sending things
>>>>> to the post office so that won't be a problem. On the off chance that
>>>>> they're unavailable, I could ask a trusted friend. As far as craft
>>>>> shows, I would need to work on that in advance. I might have my
>>>>> boyfriend, a family member or a friend take me. I'm actually planning
>>>>> on starting this business with a friend. The reason why I didn't
>>>>> mention this is because I'm sure it will create even more of a
>>>>> headache come tax time and I wanted the basics answered first. She's
>>>>> visually-impaired, not totally blind like me, so could help with some
>>>>> of the more challenging aspects of creating these things until I feel
>>>>> more comfortable. She's on SSD, so I'm not sure if she qualifies for
>>>>> the PASS or if it's only for those on SSI, if we could make a plan
>>>>> together or if I would be better off applying as an individual and
>>>>> listing her as an employee. I don't want to do anything that might
>>>>> cause trouble in the longrun. At any rate, I'm sure that we could put
>>>>> our heads together when it comes to some of the calculations. There
>>>>> is also software that can help us keep track of purchases, costs of
>>>>> shipping and materials, income earned etc. But I think that when it
>>>>> really comes time to crunch the numbers, we'll go to an accountant.
>>>>> You're absolutely right about yard sales and the like, which is why I
>>>>> would always attend one with someone sighted who has a good eye for
>>>>> catching these crooks. I don't consider this discouragement at all.
>>>>> In fact, I'm very greatful that you're taking the time to explain all
>>>>> of this to me. The more I learn the better. I sincerely hope that
>>>>> this isn't going too offtopic, but perhaps the advice that I get and
>>>>> the questions that I ask could help someone else who's interested in
>>>>> starting a business in crafts.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Eleni
>>>>>
>>>>> On 10/2/10, NCBootman <ncbootman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> I never discourage anybody who wants to work. But, the fact is that
>>>>>> one
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> the biggest factors in failure of a blind person's work experience is
>>>>>> due to
>>>>>> transportation. This is an area that you will need to have a rock
>>>>>> solid
>>>>>> plan
>>>>>> of how you will deal with the issue of transportation. Employers Will
>>>>>> ask
>>>>>> and if you seek funding for a business, they will ask. So, spend a 
>>>>>> lot
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> time with this and have alternatives. Alternatives are necessary
>>>>>> because
>>>>>> what happens when you have a deadline for delivery or a show or just 
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> scheduled day and the main transportation fails. Drivers have 
>>>>>> surgery,
>>>>>> get
>>>>>> mad, aren't in the mood, ...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Another important area is if you are in a selling business, you'd
>>>>>> better
>>>>>> love math or hire somebody to do it. There's the actual adding up of 
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> sale,
>>>>>> calculating sales tax, figuring item cost, paying bills, reporting
>>>>>> income
>>>>>> taxes, reporting to Social Security, and just doing the day to day
>>>>>> accounting. If you have a yard sale or go to the flea market and have
>>>>>> no
>>>>>> backers of any kind, you've still got to deal with that crook who
>>>>>> wants
>>>>>> ten
>>>>>> $5 items for $25. They'll work so fast you won't even know what
>>>>>> happened
>>>>>>
>>>>>> if
>>>>>> you aren't on your toes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Again, this is not discouragement. This is work related facts and 
>>>>>> must
>>>>>> be
>>>>>> considered as a part of beginning work or any business. I'm happy to
>>>>>> answer
>>>>>> any questions and do anything I can to help.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Greg
>>>>>> Greg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> From: "Eleni Vamvakari" <magkisa83 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 5:14 PM
>>>>>> To: "List for blind crafters and artists"
>>>>>> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks Annette and Joyce. I haven't gone to any crafts shows, since
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> don't know where any are located in my area and have no one to take
>>>>>>> me. That said, my boyfriend might be able to if it's during the
>>>>>>> weekend. I'm terrible with mathematics so all of this would just
>>>>>>> give
>>>>>>> me a headache if I tried it on my own. That said, I've saved your
>>>>>>> questions and will attempt to work on them, if only for myself. Your
>>>>>>> strategy for estimating is very logical. But I will still seek help
>>>>>>> in actually writing these things out. I didn't know that you needed
>>>>>>> permits or a business license just to sell on Ebay and/or Craigslist
>>>>>>> or on your own site. I doubt that I could use my income in the
>>>>>>> beginning to cover my monthly living expenses but they'll probably
>>>>>>> lower my SSI payments etc. if I go this route anyway. I'll check
>>>>>>> into
>>>>>>> these resources if I don't hear back from my counselor etc. I'm not
>>>>>>> really sure how much The Comission would be willing to help me, 
>>>>>>> since
>>>>>>> they already paid for a part of my college education and for an
>>>>>>> independence centre experience. Still, it's worth trying. But I'm
>>>>>>> really interested in this online course. It sounds doable and I
>>>>>>> don't
>>>>>>> need to worry about transportation at all.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>> Eleni
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 10/2/10, Blindhands at aol.com <Blindhands at aol.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Greg is right. My state agency for the blind actually drove me to
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> couple of classes that the small business was giving.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Joyce Kane
>>>>>>>> www.KraftersKorner.org (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
>>>>>>>> Blindhands at AOL.com
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
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